As a millennial, I always use Google first whenever I have a customer service problem. If I have a really bad shopping experience, I’m able to share it on social media to let my friends know, so that the same thing doesn’t happen to them (of course, they are less likely to purchase that product as a result). And it’s not just me. Most of my millennial friends do the same thing.

This digital savvy generation - people who were born between 1980 and 2000 - are changing the rules of customer service. We don’t often call customer reps, and instead prefer efficient self-service. We don’t just suffer in silence if the brand really fails our expectations. We tweet it out because we hope the brand cares enough about our opinions to right the wrong.

And why is this important? According to Dan Schawbel at Forbes, by 2017, millennials have overtaken Baby Boomers and become the largest consumer demographic, with estimated $200 billion in annual buying power. As a customer care professional, you should be thinking about millennials every day.

So how to make sure your service is ready for millennials? Recently we put together an interactive e-book to show you some best practices.

To get a sneak peek, check out some quick tips first in this SlideShare.

1. Millennials love self-service.

Call us the Do-It-Yourself Generation. Having grown up with internet at fingertips, millennials are used to hunting information for themselves. Whenever they have problems for your product or service, they will first search for your FAQ pages and community forums. Research shows 69% of millennials say they “feel good” about both themselves and the company when they can solve a problem solo.

A smart move for you is to create a community where millennials can connect and give advice to each other. They can find answers by themselves quickly, and your agents will have more time to deal with more complex issues. This also shows you respect the opinions and time of your millennial customers.

3. Millennials prefer text messaging over phone calls.

Millennials stay in message threads all the time, whether it’s SMS, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. It’s instant and mobile, which allows them to respond quickly wherever they are. But businesses are not keeping up with the same speed. Research shows 20% of millennials currently don’t receive any text messages from businesses at all.

Now it’s time to change that. Start to connect with your millennial customers today with LiveMessaging, and serve them their way.

4. Millennials are the hyper-connected generation, with all kinds of devices.

Smartphones, tablets, and laptops - millennials are switching among these devices every day. To please them, make sure you have seamless service support across all platforms. Remember to start with a mobile-responsive website design.

5. Millennials value brand engagement on social media.

Social media has become a customer service channel for millennials. According to Microsoft’s State of Global Customer Service Report, about 47% of 18-34-year-old consumers have used social media to complain about a brand’s service. The lesson for you here is to go social with your millennial customers. And you should also know whether they love Snapchat or Instagram. Answer their questions wherever they are.

6. Millennials demand personalization.

Compared with previous generations, millennials are more willing to share their personal data with brands to receive better and more personalized service. They expect you to know their service history whenever they reach out. Always remember to get your millennial’s profile in your intelligent CRM before ask them questions, and you will impress them with your knowledge of their needs.

Want to become millennials’ new best friends? Check out our latest interactive e-book to start smart.